Studies
CHINA – NORTH EAST AND SOUTH EAST ASIA
By: E.A. Vidyasekera
Secretary - Coordinator
Of Secretariat, AAPSO
Although there was uneasiness in relation between China and Japan owing to the claims by both countries of the sovereignty over few rocky uninhabited islands in the North east part of the pacific, Japan had gone to the extend of selling the bigger of the islands to a private sector for establishing a tourist venture. This action was provoked and China sent several ships with volunteers encircling the island. Although for the time being it remains calm, nevertheless no side has withdrawn their claims.
Mean while the U.S. too entered the frey with a pacifying role in support of Japan.
The situation got aggravated with China Proclaiming the extension of the soveignty over the sea around China and informed all the countries that they need to inform the Chinese government when flying over this region.
All the countries including the United States declined to accept this new rule. But China provided enough evidence that all these countries have similar provisions implemented under international laws, including the U.S.
To make matters worse the Japanese Prime Minister Shinto Abe “dropped” another “bombshell” when suddenly he made a visit to the “infamous” ”Nasakuni” shrine in Japan where the bones of the war criminals of second world war are entombed. This visit has escalated the tension as both China and South Korea strongly denounced this visit U.S. too was taken by surprise as Japan had given an undertaking not to visit this shrine.
This had increased the diplomatic tirade between china, South Korea V/S. Japan U.S. consider the Prime Minister Abe’s action as flagrant violation of the end to Second World War crimes by the Japan.
The Japanese Prime Minister Abe in order to strengthen his position has undertaken a tour among the counties which Japan committed aggression during the Second World War such as Mynmar (Burma) and South East Asia establishing economic relations including providing easy credit. China look at this as another attempt by Japan to resurrect the dream of “empire” including the efforts by liberal democratic party of Japan to amend the constitution to delete article 19 of Japanese constitution forbidding militarization.
Similarly China also claims several islands in the South China Sea as Chinese. Vietnam, Philippines, Brunei and several South East Asian countries accordingly feel the heavy boot of the Chinese power. Most of these islands are very much away from the Chinese mainland. But China considers either they discovered these islands originally or were under Chinese possession in the past. The countries of ASEAN want this problem to be settled multilaterally. This is another bone of contention in negotiation.
China also has border disputes with India in the North – East sector known as Arunachal Pradesh (North – East Frontier Region) Also China has taken possession of “Aksai Chin” area uninhabitable mountain area of the Kashmir. China has built a road cutting across this territory connecting Pakistan and running up to the Arabian Sea known as Karakoram High Way. India looked this with suspicions as it affects Indias security.
